When you bring home a new puppy, the first thing that probably comes into your mind is “how to get a dog to like crate.” Well, if this is your first dog, or if your dog is a newbie, then crate training might be a difficult process for you. There are several dog training tricks and tips that you can try out in order to successfully crate train your dog. Here are the 5 most effective dog training tips that I can give you.
The first tip on how to get a dog to like crate is to make the crate as safe as possible. When your dog gets confined in a crate, he will definitely feel safer because of the absence of potentially harmful things that might trigger the dog’s aggression. For this reason, you have to always provide your dog with a very safe crate. Try to use a crate that will fit him the best.
Secondly, you can ask help from other people who already have dogs of their own. If there are experienced dog owners who could give you some useful tips, then do not hesitate to ask for their help. Try asking them what kind of dog crate they prefer to use. Of course, you also have to think about the dog’s safety when asking someone for suggestions. In addition to that, crate-training your dog could be dangerous if the dog’s behavior is already unpredictable.
Another suggestion that you can consider is to leave a toy or treat inside the crate. You can simply put the dog’s food or water inside the crate whenever you want your dog to go to sleep. Leave your dog’s bedding or blanket as well. Leave your dog’s toys or any other stuff out of the crate. This would make your dog feel comfortable and relaxed since he does not see any danger in the things that he has to leave.
When learning how to get a dog to like crate, you should also be consistent with him. Make sure that you would leave him alone in the crate for a certain period of time and then allow him to roam around when he’s done with his business. If you notice that he is already restless when you leave the crate door open, then it is best to lock the door for another time.
Try using positive reinforcement to train your dog to use the crate. Instead of punishing him, reward him when he uses crate properly. For example, if he had messed up the dishes and you wanted him to clean it, you could let him know that you appreciate his efforts by giving him a chew toy or a favorite toy. This will make your dog feel appreciated and will likely make him to use a crate for future occurrences as well. You can also show him the items that you have put in the crate so he can recognize where they came from.
Crate training is considered as one of the easiest dog training techniques that you can do since there are no complex routines to follow. All you need to do is just take your dog into the crate and close the door for him. Leave the crate door open for some time and let him explore what is inside. Once he finds what he likes, you can then begin to place in dog toys or other materials that he can carry around.
However, before you begin crate training, it is important to remember that you are only introducing dog into a new environment. Make sure that you would let your dog know that the crate is not a bad thing. Dogs can be trained using this technique but it is best that you first allow him to be comfortable with the crate. With that said, you can now start using this training technique and make sure that your dog will love it because he will get to keep all the things that he brought with him when you put them in the crate.
